Cancún Airport ‘Pirate’ Transporters Accused of Intimidating Tourists Over Uber and Didi

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Unlicensed transporters wearing shirts labeled “official transport” are intimidating arriving passengers at Cancún International Airport, telling tourists that app-based ride services such as Uber and Didi are banned, travelers and airport workers say.

In the garden area in front of Terminal 2, a handful of tourists from the United States, Spain and Argentina were checking their phones when an unlicensed operator took to his radio to alert colleagues that the visitors intended to board vehicles booked through ride-hailing platforms.

According to accounts from the scene, the operators approach travelers directly and insist that platforms such as Uber and Didi are “prohibited and cannot be used here.”

Tourists moved through the area with their luggage, crossing toward the public parking lot and looking for any way out of the airport on their own terms amid the pressure from the unlicensed drivers.

Inside Terminal 2, National Guard personnel — who are responsible for surveillance in the zone — said the operators, who lack permits from Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR), have no authority to stop tourists or other travelers from boarding the vehicle of their choice.

“We are here to watch that there is order, that no irregularities are committed and that security is guaranteed at the airport. They cannot approach tourists to prohibit them from using other vehicles,” said an officer identified as Mariana.

She acknowledged that so-called pirate transport around the airport has also become one of the main complaints among terminal workers, who warn that the irregular pickup of passengers at arrivals areas can directly affect the visitor experience and the reputation of one of the main gateways to the Mexican Caribbean.

Some airport employees, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, said the problem is especially visible when passengers leave the arrivals areas, where operators try to approach them directly to offer transport services.

Licensed transport workers said the unlicensed operators damage the destination’s tourist image and argued that the practice is not only an operational headache but also a threat to the region’s reputation.

Employees also questioned the surveillance and control measures inside the terminal and pointed to ASUR, the company that operates the facility, for what they described as apparent tolerance of the practice.